Roof Replacement in North Andover, MA

North Andover has 12,115 homes, and half of them were standing by 1979. What the code requires when that roof is replaced, and who signs off, is below.

New Roofing Costs connects homeowners with independent local roofing contractors. We do not perform roofing work.

Call (833) 781-1806 Replacement and new roofs only · homeowners

This number connects homeowners who are planning a new roof or a full roof replacement with independent local roofing contractors. It is not for leak repairs or patch jobs. The call must come from the homeowner who decides on the roof. Calls may be recorded.

A Massachusetts Cape Cod house with a new shingle roof after light snow

The rules for a reroof in North Andover

Permit

Expect a building permit

Massachusetts exempts sheds, fences and finish work from permits (R105.2), not roofing. North Andover’s building department issues it, and the application carries the contractor’s HIC registration number.

Source: 780 CMR 51.00, Chapter 1 amendments (R105)

Layers

One old layer can stay; two cannot

On a roof that already carries two layers, or slate or tile, the code allows no recover: it is a tear-off (IRC R908.3.1.1). With 51% of North Andover’s homes were built before 1980, ask what is under the newest layer.

Source: IRC 2021, Chapter 9 (Pennsylvania edition, UpCodes); 780 CMR 51.00, Chapter 9 amendments

Ice barrier

Required in North Andover, as in every Massachusetts town

There is no local exception: the state table says “yes.” It runs from the eave to 24 inches inside the exterior wall, more on steep roofs (IRC R905.1.2); check that the quote lists it.

Source: 780 CMR 51.00, Chapter 3 amendments (Tables R301.2(1) and R301.2(2)); IRC 2021, Chapter 9 (Pennsylvania edition, UpCodes)

Wind and snow

116 mph design wind, 50 psf ground snow

North Andover’s code design values are a 116 mph ultimate design wind speed and a 50 psf ground snow load (30 psf minimum flat-roof snow load). At that wind speed the code calls for asphalt shingles labeled ASTM D7158 Class D, G or H (Table R905.2.4.1).

Source: 780 CMR 51.00, Chapter 3 amendments (Tables R301.2(1) and R301.2(2)); IRC 2021, Chapter 9 (Pennsylvania edition, UpCodes) (780 CMR 51.00, Table R301.2(2))

Checked against the code text on October 24, 2026. Code edition, permit and contract rules for the whole state: roof replacement in Massachusetts.

Homes and roofs in North Andover

70% of the occupied homes in North Andover are lived in by their owners: 8,058 households, the people this line is for. Counting by decade, 14% before 1940, 25% before 1960, 51% before 1980 of the housing was in place, and 19% dates from 2000 on. (ACS 2020–2024.)

The housing is 53% detached houses, 11% attached single-family houses (rowhouses, twins and townhouses), 10% buildings of two to four units.

Of the 34 Essex County municipalities on this site, North Andover has the 29th largest share of homes built before 1980: 51%, against a county range of 41% to 89%.

ZIP codes: 01845

North Andover and the towns around it

Place	Median built	Before 1980	Owners	Row, twin	Hail days
North Andover	1979	51%	70%	11%	12
Boxford	1979	51%	95%	4%	9
Lawrence	1950	78%	28%	8%	14
Andover	1973	60%	80%	5%	15
Middleton	1986	41%	93%	10%	10
Methuen	1968	64%	72%	8%	17

Median built: median year the homes were built. Before 1980: share of homes built then. Owners: share of homes that are owner-occupied. Row, twin: share of homes that are rowhouses, twins or townhouses. Census ACS 2020–2024. Hail days: days with hail of 1 inch or larger within 10 miles, 2006–2025, NOAA Storm Prediction Center.

Hail and storms near North Andover

NOAA’s storm reports show 12 days since 2006 with hail of at least 1 inch inside a 10-mile circle around North Andover, topping out at 1.5 in on September 13, 2010. The most recent was September 8, 2023.

Essex County has had 9 federal major-disaster declarations for storms since 2006; the latest was DR-4379, Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm (July 2018). (OpenFEMA.)

Storm reports are what observers logged, not a measure of damage to any roof. When wind or hail damage means a new roof.

What goes on the roof next

HUD’s useful-life figures are for planning; a warranty is a separate promise. For North Andover’s houses: More in the guides to shingles, metal, slate and flat roofs.

Material	HUD useful life	Fits a house like	Watch for
Asphalt shingles	20 years	Most pitched roofs; 53% of homes here are detached	Class D, G or H at 116 mph design wind (IRC Table R905.2.4.1)
Metal (standing seam, panels)	50 years	Roofs that will carry solar later	A complete standing-seam system may go over the old roof (R908.3.1)
Slate	75 years	Older houses; 14% here predate 1940	Sound slate can be reused (R908.5); broken slate cannot
Flat roof: EPDM or TPO	15 years	Additions and porch roofs	Coating is not a replacement

Checking a contractor in Massachusetts

In North Andover the contractor’s HIC registration (M.G.L. c. 142A) and the CSL of the supervisor licensed for roof covering are the two numbers to look up before signing.

Contracts, deposits and the right to cancel: checking a roofing contractor. What moves the price: new roof cost in Massachusetts.

Questions about a new roof in North Andover

Does a roof replacement in North Andover need a permit?

Expect a building permit. Massachusetts exempts sheds, fences and finish work from permits (R105.2), not roofing. North Andover’s building department issues it, and the application carries the contractor’s HIC registration number.

Do the old shingles have to come off in North Andover?

When were most homes in North Andover built?

By the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020–2024), the median home in North Andover was built in 1979, 51% of homes were built before 1980, 70% are owner-occupied.

How many hail days has North Andover had?

Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported on 12 days within 10 miles of North Andover from 2006 through 2025 (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). A report means hail fell nearby, not that a roof was damaged.

What license or registration should a roofer in North Andover have?